(Great Lakes, Ill.) - Behind the gates of Naval Station Great Lakes, is an area completely foreign to the civilian community. Now, an initiative by Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Great Lakes is allowing educators to cross that threshold and experience military life for a day.
“When you think of the Navy, you think of being out at sea,” Libertyville High School Principal, Dr. Tom Koulentes said. “But now, I have a better understanding of what the Navy is doing both ashore and out at sea.”
Dr. Koulentes is one of seven educators from local Wisconsin and Illinois high schools that participated in the Educators Orientation Visit (EOV). The EOV allows guests to go into restricted areas and experience military life firsthand.
Many commands across the United States have participated in educator visits before. But with the close proximity to the base, NTAG Great Lakes plans to invite educators monthly.
“With the headquarters of Military Entrance Processing Stations, ‘Freedoms Front Door’ and Naval Station Great Lakes, ‘he Quarterdeck of the Navy’ right in their backyard, it’s important for local academic leaders to understand the benefits we provide and the capabilities we possess right here in North Chicago,” NTAG Great Lakes Executive Officer, Commander Brian Richards said.
The tour started at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, the Navy’s only boot camp. There, the guests explored battle stations on the USS Trayer, a pinnacle part of boot camp and where recruits become Sailors.
From there, the educators met with RTC leadership and learned more about the process of becoming a Sailor during boot camp.
“This effort is an initiative for us to better engage with our local community,” Recruit Training Command’s Commanding Officer, Captain Ken Frogberg said. “This is your Navy. There’s nothing wrong with you understanding what goes on here. How we train recruits, how we train them to be basic trained Sailors. And then, set them on the path for success to learn incredibly important and technical skills that can lead to a vast array of educational opportunities.”
The tour of RTC ended at the USS Yorktown, where educators saw inside the living quarters before enjoying lunch with the recruits. While meals are typically completed in silence, the recruits were allowed to speak with the guests.
Dr. Koulentes says hearing about the recruits' time at boot camp and why they joined the Navy, “was really special.”
Following lunch, NTAG Great Lakes recruiters and project coordinators met with the educators to share specifics on the career opportunities available to students.
Dr. Koulentes says he plans to take the methods and skills he learned about during the visit, and apply them to the teaching curriculum at his high school.
“We want to invite Navy personnel to our school to talk not just about careers, but about the actual content,” Dr. Koulentes said. “To have someone talk about how a nuclear reactor on a submarine works … for our kids in physics and engineering, that would be a lot of valuable information. An instructor would have the theoretical knowledge, but maybe not the practical knowledge that someone from the Navy would be able to provide.”
The visit concluded on the main side of Naval Station Great Lakes, where the group toured the many “A” schools on base.
“It really was such a great and educational visit,” Dr. Koulentes said. “I’ve been encouraging other staff to jump on the opportunity and attend the next visit when it happens.”
With the success of the first tour, NTAG Great Lakes hopes to increase participation with their local schools as well as work to get students and other organizations involved in the next visit.
Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Great Lakes covers Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana, Eastern Wisconsin and the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Headquartered in North Chicago, NTAG Great Lakes has 30 recruiting stations and employs more than 150 military and non-military personnel.
| Date Taken: | 02.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.12.2024 13:54 |
| Story ID: | 468445 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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